crossing the line
by CheyWolfe
Summary: Soubi personally witnesses Ritsuka getting hit by Misaki and finds himself doing something to stop the abuse.


Knowing he shouldn't be doing this, that it was against everything he knew, Soubi stands outside the red brick police station, looking up at the building. Rain pours down, drenching him and making his clothes cling to body. He doesn't notice much, though, since his mind is too preoccupied with how _wrong_ this was. He was going to do it, though. He couldn't take it anymore. It had gone too far…

By doing this, Soubi knew he's risking his entire relationship with Ritsuka. Ritsuka would probably hate him forever for this. He had ordered against Soubi to not do anything to or about her. This not only defies direct orders, risks Ritsuka never forgiving Soubi, but also risks Soubi getting arrested, also. One thing would probably lead to another, and eventually his relationship with Ritsuka would be found out. He's willing, though, if it means that the abuse will be stopped.

It had started late long ago, but what set him off was the event of the previous night. Soubi had gone to visit Ritsuka late due to an art project. He had planned to wake the boy up, tell him goodnight, and then leave, but he had found Ritsuka awake and staring at his computer screen. Soubi had gotten a look at the page he was looking at, and even at a brief glance at it had told him that he was on a government website looking up the transfer of a minor to another legal guardian, or more commonly known as 'adoption'. Soubi knocked at the door, to alert Ritsuka that he was there and had opened the balcony door, finding it unlocked. Ritsuka quickly closed the page he was looking at.

"You're up late," Soubi had commented, looking at a new bandage on Ritsuka's exposed arm. Ritsuka noticed, and covered up the new wound with his other hand. He stood abruptly and wrapped his little arms around Soubi's waist. Although surprised, Soubi had returned the hug. "What's wrong?

"Nothing," Ritsuka denied, pulling himself away from Soubi and sitting on the bed. Soubi went to sit next to him, pulling Ritsuka against him so that he was in his arms again. Ritsuka had sighed but let the Fighter hold him. "I'm serious, Soubi, its…nothing. You're here late."

Soubi took his hand, fingering the other new bandage there. "I came to say goodnight," He held Ritsuka tighter. "Why didn't call me?" He carefully moved them so that Soubi was sitting against the headboard with Ritsuka between his legs, leaning back against him.

Ritsuka shifted, turning around in his hold and putting his head on Soubi's chest, "You said you had an art project. I didn't want to bother you."

This had surprised Soubi. Ritsuka actually…cared about whether the time was good for Soubi or not? "I told you to call me whenever something happens. I'm worried about you. Please, Ritsuka. I want you to be safe."

Ritsuka was silent for a long time, so long that Soubi had been afraid that he had fallen asleep. Eventually, though, he glanced up at Soubi, a blush evident on his face. "Do you…" He had started. "Do you want to stay over?"

Soubi laughed quietly at his shyness. "Of course, Ritsuka," Soubi smiled down at the boy in his arms. He had started to become accustomed to Ritsuka asking him to stay over. He had gotten so used to it that he had started bringing an extra change of clothes in a bag. "Would you like to go to bed now?"

Ritsuka had shaken his head, saying that he wasn't tired. They talked for a little while and Ritsuka left to get ready for bed, leaving Soubi to change himself. Ritsuka had came back yawning, but still denying that he was tired. Soubi had given him a backrub and the boy had almost fallen asleep during it. He kissed Ritsuka goodnight and snuggled close to him in the small bed. He hadn't meant to, but Soubi had fallen asleep with little Ritsuka cuddled so close. He had a peaceful sleep- until a bang at the door woke he and Ritsuka up.

"Ritsuka! Why is your door locked?" The woman screaming at Ritsuka's door had been no other than Misaki, Ritsuka's mother.

Ritsuka stirred, rolling over so that he was facing Soubi. His violet eyes were only half open, and he looked quite annoyed.

"Just go back to sleep," Soubi had whispered to Ritsuka. He stroked his hair, willing Ritsuka to let him deal with his mother, just this once.

Ritsuka's eyes flew open as he seemed to register the situation he was in. "Oh shit," He hissed. "You need to hide. If she sees us in bed together, she'll kill me! Hurry!" He sat up, looking terrified.

"Just let me deal with her," Soubi glanced toward the door, where Misaki was kicking it from the other side.

"No!" Ritsuka pulled him off the bed and towards the closet. "Please, just hide in here until it's over. Don't…do anything." It was a direct order.

So Soubi had hid in the closet, watching the scene play out before him through a crack in the door.

"I heard voices in here," Misaki had growled as soon as Ritsuka opened the door. She stared at him for a long time. Ritsuka bravely met her gaze for a second and her hand had flashed out, striking him across the face. Ritsuka cringed, taking a step back away from her. Soubi did all that he could not to kill Misaki for putting his Sacrifice through this. "Do you have a girl in here?"

"No, mother!" Ritsuka denied as she turned the lights on, looking around in a psychotic, paranoid way as she came into the room. Soubi had to do something. Ritsuka had ordered him not to do anything, but he needed to protect him from her. "Please!" She was coming towards him again, and he was backing up against the wall. "Tomorrow's a school day! I need some sleep!"

"My Ritsuka always had time for his mother!" And with that the second punch had been thrown. She hit Ritsuka right in the face, her hand connecting with his nose. Blood spewed out of it almost instantaneously.

Something must have clicked in Soubi's mind, even though it was a while before he actually made the trip to the building where he stands now. He found his phone in his pocket and started taking a video. It hurt… it hurt to see Ritsuka getting beat so brutally and not be able to do anything about it. It needed to end. He just couldn't stand to see Ritsuka so beaten down.

"I hate you!" She screamed, her voice shaking. Ritsuka stared at her with wide purple eyes, making a small sound of shock. She slapped him again, harder than before and hard enough for Soubi to hear the sound of her palm making contact with his face. Soubi had been able to tell that it wasn't the physical slap that had hurt, but it was her words. "I hate you! I actually hate you! Don't you dare say that I'm insane!" _Slap_. "You're unloveable! What kind of person would love a boy like you? What kind of mother would _want _you?" _Slap. _Soubi fought the urge to shut his eyes and block it out. He was still taking the video, and still not knowing why.

"You don't-!" Ritsuka started to say, the tears already falling. He was cut off by Misaki hitting him in the stomach.

"I mean it, you…you imposter! Nobody will ever love you! Why don't you just get the hell out of my house? You're unwanted!" She continued to hit him throughout her screaming. To watch Ritsuka getting beat like this way the hardest thing he'd ever done. The abuse wasn't just physical, it was verbal and mental, too. _I love you, Ritsuka_. He wished Ritsuka would realize how much Soubi loved him, and that it wasn't because Seimei had told him to. He really loved Ritsuka. He loved him more than anything.

And Soubi could've sworn he had seen Ritsuka's eyes flicker in his direction when Misaki had said 'nobody will ever love you'. Maybe he knew. Maybe he realized how far Soubi would go for him. Maybe he was willing him to do something.

Then Misaki had stood abruptly and left, telling Ritsuka not to move. As soon as she'd left, Ritsuka had slumped against the wall, hiding his head in his hands. Soubi had shut off the camera on his phone, and put it away so that he could comfort Ritsuka.

"You need to go," Ritsuka looked up at him when Soubi came out of the closet.

"I can't," Was Soubi's simple reply.

"She'll be back," Ritsuka whispered. "She thinks I had someone in here. She's going to search my room. Please, Soubi, just go. I can deal with this myself."

Soubi had wiped the blood from Ritsuka's nose off with his sleeve. "No you can't." He had left anyways, but with a small plan to get Misaki to stop beating Ritsuka for the night. He was reluctant to leave, but he had anyways, jumping the balcony and landing smoothly on the ground. He could hear Misaki raging in Ritsuka's room. He cried out and that was it for Soubi. That pained scream…god, it was terrible.

Without thinking twice, he found a window and shattered it by throwing a punch at it. It broke into a thousand pieces; a few digging into his flesh and making him bleed. He shook them out, withdrawing his hand. The female screaming stopped abruptly and she seemingly left the room. Soubi found his way back up the balcony to find little Ritsuka sitting against his bed, breathing hard. His face was starting to bruise and his nose was still bleeding and his white shirt had some more bloodstains on it.

Soubi locked the door before he examined Ritsuka a little better. The boy then suddenly leapt to his feet, glaring at Soubi. "You idiot!" He yelled. "I told you not to stay! What if she'd hurt you? Why didn't you leave?" Ritsuka's eyes were filling with tears again.

"Ritsuka…" Soubi pulled him forcefully into his arms. That had been the worst thing he'd ever witnessed. This had to stop. Something had to be done about Misaki or Soubi would have to watch him get beaten until the day Misaki finally took it too far.

Ritsuka had reduced to a mess of sobs. He'd clung tightly to Soubi's shirt, bawling. "Why?" He cried. "Why doesn't she love me?"

Soubi moved to the bed, pulling Ritsuka into his lap. Ritsuka continued crying into his chest. Misaki's words had broken him. All Ritsuka wanted was to be loved by her. Soubi gently rocked him back and forth, whispering 'I love you' into his kitten ears. At one point Ritsuka looked up, his face a mess of blood and tears, and asked if Soubi really meant it. Soubi had answered 'yes' without hesitation. Ritsuka had cried for an entire hour before finally quieting down to sniffles.

"Do you want me to run you a bath?" Soubi had asked him. He wanted to comfort Ritsuka and make him forget his mother's harsh words. Ritsuka nodded, sniffling. "I'll treat your wounds afterward. You're not going to go to school tomorrow." Ritsuka hadn't objected, and didn't even say a word after bathing, of even when Soubi treated his injuries. Soubi had stayed silent for the most part, too, due to the fact that he was beside himself with anger at Misaki. All he knew was he had to do something for Ritsuka.

The rest of the night consisted of Soubi trying to get Ritsuka to go to sleep. Ritsuka still wasn't speaking at all, but he kept holding onto Soubi as if his life depended on it. Usually, Ritsuka tried his hardest to hide all of his emotions, but now he wasn't trying at all to do that. He must have been going into some sort of breakdown from the things his mother said to him. When the lights of dawn just began breaking through the windows, Ritsuka finally fell asleep.

Before leaving, Soubi had written a short note to Ritsuka stating he had gone back to his apartment and would be back as soon as he showered and changed. He called Ritsuka's teacher and told her that an incident had occurred and that Ritsuka was hurt. She was worried and suspicious, but not of Soubi. He had told her that he would pick up Ritsuka's homework for him later. He had then actually gone home and changed, but also cleared the pictures of Ritsuka and him off of his phone and onto his computer. And then he had found himself here. At the police station. About to do a forbidden act.

Under his wet coat, Soubi's shirt is still damp from where Ritsuka had cried so hard into it. He remembers clearly watching Ritsuka get hit again and again while she screamed hurtful words at him. Verbal abuse was always worse than physical, Soubi knew that from his years with Seimei. If this continued there was no telling _how_ broken Ritsuka would end up being. Soubi couldn't stand it anymore, either. Maybe Ritsuka was starting to want it to end too, since Soubi had caught him looking at adoption papers.

This was it. If Soubi did this, there was no going back. He had proof. He had kept the video on his phone. It showed bother Ritsuka's and Misaki's faces clearly. It was all the police would need.

Soubi walks the rest of the way up to the station's front door slowly, still unsure of himself. The desk sergeant looks up sharply when he enters, but Soubi just brushes past her, heading towards the officers in the room behind her.

"Can I help you?" An officer stares at him when Soubi comes to a stop at his desk.

Soubi pulls out his phone, setting the video to play and dropping it on the officer's desk. "I'm here to report Aoyagi Misaki for abusing her son Aoyagi Ritsuka."

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**Please review if you like this :3**

**~Wolfie  
**


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